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In a significant move towards a coordinated and comprehensive approach to managing Avian Influenza, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) convened a high-level brainstorming session focused on surveillance and vaccination under the One Health approach. The session, held at Krishi Bhawan yesterday, was chaired by Ms. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary of the DAHD. It brought together a diverse group of officers and experts, marking a crucial step in enhancing the response mechanisms and mitigating the impact of Avian Influenza in India.
Context and Participants
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), set the context for the One Health Mission, emphasizing the importance of integrating human, animal, and environmental health. The event saw participation from senior experts from various key organizations, including ICMR Headquarters, ICMR-NIV Pune, CSIR-Centre for Cell and Molecular Biology (CCMB), the National Centre for Disease Control, ICAR-NIHSAD Bhopal, ICAR-NIVEDI Bangalore, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Department of Biotechnology, DM Cell, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and DAHD.
Significance of the Poultry Sector
The poultry sector in India is a cornerstone of food security, providing a reliable source of high-quality protein, contributing to nutritional security, and supporting livelihoods, particularly in rural areas. The sector, which has seen steady growth at a rate of 7-10% over the past decade, also boosts trade and exports, contributing to the country’s economic growth. However, recurrent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) hinder its potential and impact exports.
Challenges and Current Status
The HPAI H5 subtype virus is evolving biologically and expanding geographically, with new genetic lineages emerging. The recent HPAI outbreak in dairy cattle in the USA, which spilled over to other mammals, underscores the pandemic potential of HPAI. Addressing this threat requires the One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health with enhanced coordination and comprehensive strategies.
Discussion and Outcomes
The session featured comprehensive presentations from the Human Health, Animal Husbandry, and Wildlife sectors, highlighting current surveillance protocols and response mechanisms for Avian Influenza outbreaks. Experts emphasized the need for enhanced environmental surveillance and updating existing protocols.
Participants concurred on the necessity of proactive One Health Coordination to prepare for exotic and emergent zoonotic diseases like Avian Influenza. Discussions focused on strengthening surveillance at the interface areas between humans, animals, and wildlife, augmenting active surveillance, and deploying cross-sectoral Joint Response Teams (RRTs).
Given India’s position along the migratory bird flyway, developing an effective strategy for migratory bird surveillance at water bodies during the winter season was emphasized for early warnings and disease control. Special emphasis was placed on developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for environmental surveillance using low-cost methods at sites like wet markets, water bodies, wastewater, slaughterhouses, and poultry farms. Following the lead from wastewater screening for COVID-19 and poliovirus, CCMB, ICMR, and NIV have initiated research in this area, yielding significant and promising results.
Vaccine Development and Challenges
Globally available HPAI vaccines typically do not provide sterile immunity nor are they 100% effective against all strains. These vaccines offer partial immunity, reducing disease severity and viral shedding but not entirely preventing infection. Vaccinated birds can still carry and transmit the virus without exhibiting symptoms, complicating surveillance and outbreak detection. This partial immunity can lead to the emergence of vaccine-resistant strains. Considering these scenarios and the difficulties in ensuring stringent biosecurity and movement restrictions, particularly in the backyard poultry sectors, experts advocated continuing the present strategy of surveillance and culling with no vaccination. However, the need for advanced research for vaccines for both humans and poultry birds was emphasized.
ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal, which has already commercialized vaccine technology against Low-Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI-H9N2), has taken a significant lead in developing an indigenous vaccine against HPAI. ICMR is also planning to initiate cell-culture-based vaccines against Avian flu for human use.
Conclusion
The brainstorming session marked a significant step towards a coordinated and comprehensive approach to managing Avian Influenza. By leveraging the One Health approach, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying aims to enhance surveillance, response mechanisms, and vaccine development, thereby mitigating the impact of Avian Influenza and similar zoonotic diseases.
